Gallery: What to Expect at Madison Square Eats: Brisket Tacos, Bushwick Pizza, Beer, and More

Madison Square Eats

Food this way.

Roberta's Menu

Roberta's is back for another year and their usual lineup of pizzas is a good sampling of their full Bushwick menu. The Margherita and Famous Original are solid standards, while the Bee Sting and Speckenwolf are great for anyone looking for something a bit more adventurous.

Pizza Assembly Line: Stage 1

Slice it up...

...and add honey

Bee Sting from Roberta's ($12)

Roberta's knows how to make a really good pizza, and the Bee Sting, a sausage pie with chili flake, chili oil and honey, is no exception. The chili adds a quick and satisfying heat that barely lingers, and complements the subtle sweetness of the honey really well. The crust is a bit bready, but it's still thin and crispy around the edges, just as any good wood-fired pizza should be. Overall, probably the best thing I ate all day.

Delaney Barbecue TacoTown

The Silence of the brisket

Put your chianti in this koozie and enjoy with fava beans.

Chopped Brisket Taco at TacoTown ($5)

TacoTown's spin on Delaney's signature brisket is a solid effort. The cilantro and red onion relish add a nice crunch, and the chili sauce is sweet and mild. However, the brisket's flavors tends to get lost in the sauce, only standing out occasionally (especially Delaney's famously peppery bark). It's a really good taco, but it also begs the question, why would anyone not let meat this good shine on its own?

O hai!

Maine-style Lobster Roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound ($16)

Rice Balls from Arancini Bros. ($5 each)

Bulgogi Taco from Seoul Lee Korean Barbecue

Korean Barbecue on a taco is definitely a welcomed concept, and this bulgogi taco, stacked with beef, kimchi and gochujang (aioli chili sauce) works pretty well. The beef is nicely sweet and the gochujang lends a nice gentle lingering heat, but the gritty texture of the cheap-tasting corn tortilla manages to obscure it all. If you get this, please eat it with a fork.

Bulgogi

The tacos are well-stuffed.

Pork Belly Bun from Hong Kong Street Cart ($4)

The fat slab of pork belly on this bun immediately tastes sweet in that uniquely-Chinese-barbecue-sort-of-way, thanks to the soy marinade. The spicy wasabi sauce isn't really spicy at all, but it is surprisingly satisfying in its creaminess.

Earl Grey Macarons from Macaron Parlour ($2.50 each)

Doughnuttery

Doughnuttery's mini doughnuts have become a recent success Chelsea Market, and they brought their donuts to Madison Square Eats, along with an assortment of flavored sugars and their mini-doughnut fryer.

The Fryolator

Maybe they'll start selling these for home use (if not for the fire hazard).

Purple Pig and Cacaoboy Doughnuts from Doughnuttery ($6 for 6)

These mini-doughnuts were delicious fresh out of the fryer, and almost immediately melted in my mouth. Surprisingly, the Cacaoboy's chocolate isn't too sweet (it could almost be described as bold), especially considering it's covered in sugar, and even has a slight smoke from the mesquite. The Purple Big doesn't really taste like maple or bacon, despite the inclusion of both alongside the purple potato, but it's still a solid sugary doughnut. As good they are though, I'm not sure I can recommend spending $6 on about one doughnut's worth of fried dough. They may be tasty and adorable, but they're also overpriced.